Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti palankaus sveikatai elgesio sąsajas su dvasingumu ir vidine darna suaugusiame amžiuje. Tyrime dalyvavo 213 respondentų, 131 (61,5 %) moterų ir 82 (38,5%) vyrai. Jauniausiam tyrimo dalyviui 19 metų, vyriausiam – 58. Amžiaus vidurkis 28,9 metų. Tyrime buvo naudojama kasdieninės dvasinės patirties skalė (DSES), gyvenimo orientacijos klausimynas, palankaus sveikatai elgesio klausimynas. Išanalizavus gautus tyrimo rezultatus nustatyta, kad didesniu dvasingumu pasižymi žmonės, kurie taip pat pasižymi labiau sveikatai palankiu elgesiu ir atvirkščiai – mažesnio dvasingumo tiriamieji pasižymi mažiau sveikatai palankiu elgesiu. Žmonės, kurių vidinės darnos lygis yra aukštesnis pasižymi labiau sveikatai palankiu elgesiu, negu žmonių, kurių vidinės darnos lygis žemesnis. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad palankų sveikatai elgesį paaiškina didesnis dvasingumas, aukštesnis vidinės darnos lygis ir vyriška lytis. / The aim of research – to establish relation of health related behavior with spirituality and the sense of coherence in grown up age. The research involved 213 respondents, out of who 131 (61.5%) were women and 82 (38.5%) – men. The youngest participant of the research was 19 years old, the oldest – 58. The average age – 28.9 years. The research instruments used were daily spiritual experience scale (DSES), life orientation questionnaire, health related behavior questionnaire. Analysis of the research results suggests that the people characterized as spiritual are also more lean towards the health related behavior and vice verse – people with less noted spirituality are less tend to health related behavior. Behavior of the people with higher level of sense of coherence is more health related than of the people with lower sense of coherence. The results of the research revealed that higher level of spirituality, greater sense of coherence and male gender account for the health related behavior.

Juknienė J. The peculiarities of self-assessment, sense of coherence and self-awareness of the 1 st – 2 nd formers of different advance. The final work of the Master of Psychology / the scientific supervisor – Doc. Dr. M. Pileckaitė – Markovienė; Vilnius Pedagogical University; the department of Psychology Didactics. – Vilnius, 2005. - 92 p. In this master work there is analyzed the self-assessment, sense of coherence and self-awareness of the students of different advance. In junior school age the making human’s disharmony shows through, which later causes emotional, behavior and learning problems, and social disadaptation. The aim of research – to analyze the peculiarities of personality of the 1 st – 2 nd formers of different advance in aspects of self-evaluation, sense of coherence and self-identification. The goals of research are: 1) to compare the self-assessment and sense of coherence of the students of high, average and low advance; 2) to evaluate students’ possibility to identify their own present, past and future status of age and sex, considering students’ advance; 3) to compare students’ understanding about the choice of attractive and unattractive image. There were used the following methods of research: analysis of nonfiction, conversation, questionnaires for children. Two hundred 1 st – 2 nd formers at the age of 7 – 8 participated in this research. The information about those children’ learning results was received from their teachers. According to this... [to full text]

The main purpose of this research is to analyze the peculiarities of Health Control Locus and Sense of Coherence of adults that suffer from chronic diseases. The research is based on the analysis of scientific literature and theories, which summarize the main definitions of this research: the age of an adult, ailment and health control locus, Sense of Coherence. The results of experiments made with healthy adults and those who suffer from chronic diseases (N=378) are presented and analyzed in the second part of this research. Two methods where used: K.Wollston (1978) Multidimensional scale health locus of control (MHLC) and A.Antonovsky (1987) “Questionnaire of Life Orientation”, which is used in order to determine the Sense of Coherence. The results of research are: there are differences between adults that suffer from chronic diseases and healthy adults by the rate “chance” of the Health Locus of Control (t(376)=2.731, p=0.007) and by external rate of the Health Locus of Control (t(376)=11.375, p=0.0001). The obtained results allow making a conclusion that the firs hypotheses that adults that suffer from chronic diseases external rate is more expressed than healthy adults. Differences between adults that suffer from chronic diseases and healthy adults was found by the rates “manageability” (t(376)=-5.080, p=0.0001), “meaningfulness” (t(376)=-6.464, p=0.0001) of Sense of Coherence and by the general Scale of the Sense of Coherence (t(376)=-4.114, p=0.0001). The... [to full text]

Lithuania has one of the highest suicide rates for men in the world (81.7 per 100,000 men). 21.7% of the population feels depressed. A salutogenic model of health developed by Antonovsky provides new knowledge for betterunderstanding of the behaviour of individuals and explains why some individuals fall ill under stress and why some do not. The study is focussed on the analysis of sense of coherence (SOC) on the population sample of Lithuania (n=3390) using a simplified way of measuring SOC developed by Lundberg and Nyström Peck at the Swedish Institute for Social Research of Stockholm University. The data of the study showed that people with low SOC (60.1%) predominate among the Lithuanian population. A strong correlation between low SOC, depression and stress was found. Additional studies, preferably longitudinal, are needed to identify possible relationshipsbetween cognitive processes (SOC) and biological mechanisms, causing adverse effects on mental health / <p>ISBN 91-7997-106-7</p>

Organisations throughout the world have to cope with an increasing rate of change. These organisational changes are due to a number of reasons, which include social, technological, economic and political reasons. These result in a change in government regulations. In South Africa, the changes include the merging of higher education institutions and changes in the educational landscape. The public higher education institutions were reduced by the Department of Higher Education and Training from 36 to 23. Same changes include new universities of technologies and mergers of other universities plus more comprehensive universities. Recently, government established two new universities, one in Mpumalanga and another in the Northern Cape. Job insecurity, job satisfaction, occupational stress, sense of coherence, and general health are key aspects of the higher education institutions during and after the transformation process. This study aimed to determine the relationship between job insecurity, job satisfaction, occupational stress, sense of coherence, and general health of employees in a higher education institution. The literature reviewed showed that job insecurity occurs as a result of a merger, which is one of the multiple antecedents in a job insecurity model. However, a merger, as an organisational condition, changes individual perceptions about job insecurity and its consequences. Job satisfaction, occupational stress, and general health are consequences of job insecurity. From the reviewed literature, it is clear that the employees’ lack of resources is a very serious challenge in their endeavour to perform their duties. Lack of resources results in the poor performance of employees and their inability to use their capabilities to deal with every day work-related challenges. A cross-sectional design with employees in higher education institution (N=229) was used. The Job Insecurity Inventory, Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, An Organisation Stress Screening Tool, Orientation to Life Questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire, and a biographical questionnaire were utilised. Statistical analyses were carried out for the three articles in the study with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) program. Statistical methods used in this article consisted of descriptive statistics (for example, means, standard deviations and frequencies), Cronbach alpha coefficients, explanatory factor analyses, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, multiple regression analysis and mediation analysis (Omnibus procedure). The results of article 1 showed that job insecurity was statistically significantly related to general health (somatic symptoms, social dysfunction, hopelessness and worthlessness). This implies that employees who experience high job insecurity also experience problems with their health. General health had a practically significant negative correlation with sense of coherence. Literature reviewed states that a weak sense of coherence leads employees to perceive situations as threatening (that is, high job demands and low job resources), and could lead to ill health. The research findings clearly indicate that sense of coherence does not moderate the relationship between job insecurity and general health. Regarding the results of article 2, a practically significant negative relationship exists between occupational stress and job satisfaction (intrinsic, supervision, extrinsic). This means that employees with high levels of occupational stress display lower job satisfaction and vice versa. Occupational stress and general health have a negative relationship, implying that different occupational stress factors (work demands, insecurity and work relations) relate to the general health of employees. Employees, who experience high work demands, are insecure and experience poor work relations with their colleagues or supervisors, have problems with their health and do not enjoy normal day-to-day activities in the organisation. Job satisfaction displays a practically significant negative correlation with general health. This implies that employees who are not satisfied with the intrinsic satisfaction of their job and working environment experience headaches and lack physical energy. Such employees generally feel sick. They do not enjoy every day activities since they doubt their own competence and the meaning of life. Both occupational stress and job satisfaction are statistically significant predictors of general health. In conclusion, the results of this article report that job satisfaction mediates the relationship between occupational stress and the general health of employees in a higher education institution. The results of article 3 showed that practically significant positive relationships exist between sense of coherence and job satisfaction. Employees with a higher sense of coherence are more satisfied and motivated to work. They are more comfortable with other colleagues and the general working conditions. Employees with a strong sense of coherence are more resourceful in handling different work-related aspects, and they tend to experience higher job satisfaction. It was concluded that sense of coherence moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and some aspects of general health. The results imply that people with lower levels of sense of coherence are more dependent on job satisfaction to experience good health. This has direct implications for vocational and industrial psychologists, as well as higher educational institutions. Recommendations for future research were made. / PhD (Industrial Psychology) North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Vi möts allt oftare av ett ökat intresse för hälsa och en förväntan att leva sunt och hälsosamt. Detta för att vi ska hålla oss friska, orka mer och prestera bättre. I motsats till detta ökar ohälsotalen. Fler och fler blir sjukskrivna samtidigt som sjuknärvaron på arbetsplatser sägs öka. Ett intresse för detta motsatsförhållande var ursprunget till min studie. Den organisation jag undersökt har ett uttalat hälsofrämjande perspektiv, med ett salutogent fokus. Det salutogena perspektivet kopplas ofta ihop med känsla av sammanhang – KASAM. En stark känsla av KASAM kopplas ihop med bättre egen-upplevd hälsa. Deltagarna i min undersökning har gått en kurs i hälsofrämjande livsstilsfaktorer anordnad av arbetsgivaren. Syftet med undersökningen var att undersöka deltagarnas känsla av sammanhang och deras upplevelse av lärande samt om kursen haft någon påverkan på deras KASAM. Studien hade en kvalitativ ansats och jag har genomfört intervjuer med sex av sju deltagare från kursen. Som komplement till intervjuerna har deltagarna även besvarat ett KASAM-livsfrågeformulär. Resultatet från intervjuerna kopplades till de i KASAM ingående begreppen begriplighet, hanterbarhet och meningsfullhet, samt till lärande. Resultatet visade att deltagarna överlag hade relativt höga värden på KASAM-livsfrågeformuläret, med ett undantag. Det motsvarade den uppfattning jag fick under intervjuerna. Analysen kopplar ihop resultatet med tidigare forskning och teori och visar att det hälsofrämjande arbetet lönar sig. Undersökningen visade att deltagarnas KASAM har stärkts av kursen. Undersökningen visade också att återkopplingen av deltagarnas förändrade kunskap tillbaka till arbetsplatsen var liten. Ytterligare forskning om hur ökad kompetens kring hälsofrämjande faktorer på chefsnivå har effekt för medarbetare och verksamhet är önskvärt.

The relationships that people have with their work, and the difficulties that can arise when those relationships turn sour, have been long recognised as a significant phenomenon of the modem age. The use of the term burnout for this phenomenon began to appear with some regularity in the 1970s in the United States, especially among people working in the human services. Burnout can be expected amongst engineers, technicians and electricians, due to the integration of their work activities and the quality of support received from their supervisors or managers as well as from other departments. Front line staff can be expected to experience higher levels of burnout, because of their direct contact with difficult customers (cut-offs due to non-payments, for instance), certain job demands (restoration of power interruptions), staff shortages, training of new staff, and so on. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between burnout, job stress, sense of coherence and coping of engineers, technicians and electricians in a South African electricity distribution organisation. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population consisted of 38 engineers, 86 technicians and 91 electricians. Four questionnaires were used, namely the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, a Job Stress Questionnaire, the Orientation to Life Questionnaire and COPE. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the results. The results showed that stress because of job demands, lack of support, supervision and transformation, as well as a weak sense of coherence predicted exhaustion. Exhaustion and avoidance predicted cynicism. A causal sequence was found between sense of coherence, job stress and exhaustion. Active coping moderated the effect of sense of coherence on professional efficacy. Employees with a lower job grade show higher levels of cynicism and lower levels of professional efficacy compared with those with a higher job grade. An explanation might be that the lower job grades lack the necessary coping skills. Therefore, it seems that employees who have a weak sense of coherence are inclined to suffer from job stress, which will lead to exhaustion. Sense of coherence and the use of active coping strategies seem to contribute to the professional efficacy of employees, which may lead to health-enhancing behaviours and better social adjustments. Job stress impacts on exhaustion and sense of coherence, and a strong sense of coherence moderates the effects of job stress on exhaustion. Sense of coherence also protects employees from developing low professional efficacy. Active coping strategies moderate the effects of sense of coherence on professional efficacy. Avoidance as a coping strategy mediated the relationship between sense of coherence and cynicism. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

The aim of the research was to design and assess the effectiveness of a hope enhancement programme for a group of adults and the resulting influence on their general psychological well-being. The purpose of the programme was to increase hope, as conceptualised by Snyder et al. (1991), by enhancing participants' abilities to set feasible goals, planning ways to reach those goals (pathways) and increasing determination and motivation (agency) towards goal achievement. The workshop-format programme, presented by the researcher, consisted of six two-hour sessions spread over five days. The programme was developed through incorporating suggestions from existing Hope literature together with health psychological and positive psychology principles. In order to determine the impact of the programme, four measurement instruments were used, namely the Hope Scale, the Hunter Opinions and Personal Expectations Scale (HOPES), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-29). A pre and post-test design included an experimental group (n = 8), control group (n = 8) and 'chat' group (n = 8). Prior to group compilation, screening interviews were conducted with interested participants to exclude those who had recently experienced trauma or displayed overt signs of psychological pathology. The control group received no intervention, while the 'chat' group, of which the researcher was also a member, was allowed to discuss topics of their choosing. The study groups comprised both men and women of different ages and socio-economic status. All participants were White and Afrikaans speaking. Descriptive statistics, psychometric analysis of the measuring instruments and significant differences between groups were calculated with the assistance of the STATISTICA (version 6) computer programme (Statsoft Inc., 2003). Reliability indices compared well with those recorded in the literature for the various scales. For the experimental group, the findings indicated an increase in the hope levels as reflected by significant improvement on the Hope Scale and the Hopefulness subscale of the HOPES. Subjective feedback from the group confirmed these findings. Psychological well-being improved, as shown by a significant increase in Sense of Coherence (SOC-29) along with a positive change in Satisfaction with Life (SWLS). Neither the control nor experimental groups revealed any significant changes. It was established that the hope enhancement programme is effective in increasing the levels of hope and general psychological well-being of a group of adults relatively free of psychological pathology. Considering the findings, it is recommended that future wellness intervention should not focus solely on individuals with established psychological pathology, but also consider a preventative approach within the average population. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The impact of change on organisations and the transforming role of the protection services member means that protection services members perform under more stress than members of almost any other profession. They are human and experience the same or sometimes more severe forms of depression, anxiety and other symptoms than other people. The objectives of this study were to determine the construct validity and internal consistency of the MBI-GS, UWES, OTLQ and Health subscales of the ASSET for protection services members. The relationship between work wellness, sense of coherence and health and the development of a model of work wellness for protection services members was determined. The research method consists of a literature review and an empirical study using a cross-sectional survey design to collect data. An availability sample (N = 341) from protection services members was taken. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MI-GS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OTLQ), Health subscales of the ASSET and a Biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SPSS-programme and AMOS. The statistical methods utilised in the article consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling methods. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a two-factor model of work engagement, consisting of vigour/dedication and absorption. In previous research of protection services members, two factors in the MBI-GS could also be extracted, namely, burnout and professional efficacy. The MBI-GS and UWES both showed acceptable internal consistencies. Construct equivalence for different language groups was confirmed for the MBI-GS and UWES. vii Product-moment correlation coefficients showed significant negative correlations between Burnout and Vigour/Dedication, Burnout and Sense of Coherence, Sense of Coherence and Physical Health, Sense of Coherence and Psychological Health. There were significant positive correlations between Physical Health and Psychological Health, Professional Efficacy and Vigour/Dedication, Professional Efficacy and Absorption, Vigour/Dedication and Absorption and lastly Physical Health and Psychological Health. A causal model of work wellness was developed. The first two hypothesis were accepted: Work Wellness consists of Burnout and Work Engagement and high levels of burnout may result in either physical of psychological health problems. The third hypothesis was only partially accepted: the path coefficient from Sense of Coherence to Work Wellness and I11 Health is significant. Sense of Coherence partially mediated the impact of Burnout as part of Work Wellness on Ill Health. The path coefficient from Sense of Coherence to Ill Health was also found to be significant, indicating that higher levels of Sense of Coherence can result in fewer health problems. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

A growing economy demands a skilled workforce, and the reality of the situation in South Africa is that, due to former apartheid policies and job reservation, there are large numbers of unemployed people with little hope of employment in the formal sector because they lack skills and experience. The National Skills Development and the Skills Development Levy Act gave rise to the development of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS). The NSDS is now entering its second five-year cycle with the scoreboard reflecting both gains and challenges for Sector Education Training Authorities (SETAs) as the primary delivery institutions of the NSDS. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between job demands and job resources and the work wellness of employees in SETAs, using a cross-sectional survey design. The survey consisted of 159 SETA employees in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Utrecht Work engagement Scale, the ASSET (An Organizational Stress Screening Evaluation Tool) and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, were administered. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, Pearson correlations and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. The results of this study confirmed the construct validity and reliability of the scales which were employed to measure work-related well-being. Furthermore, the results showed that overload predict exhaustion. Cynicism was best predicted by a lack of resources (specifically growth opportunities and lack of organisational support) and a weak sense of coherence. Vigour and dedication were predicted by growth opportunities, organisational support and a strong sense of coherence Exhaustion predicted physical ill-health, while both exhaustion and cynicism contributed to psychological ill-health. Affective organisational commitment was predicted by vigour and dedication, while behavioural organisational commitment was predicted by high vigour and low exhaustion. Recommendations for SETAs and future research were made / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.